It happened at Geneva Park, during a workshop with a realist painter. We were given a photograph and asked to create a painting based on it.
At the time, I was still afraid of a blank white canvas. To overcome it, I used gesso to create texture and stained the canvas.
I might’ve been the only one who chose a darker, more emotional image. Others selected prettier pictures and copied them neatly. As people passed by my station, I could feel their puzzled looks.
Then, one woman came up to me and said, “Don’t worry about what others say. Your painting is good—it’s not just a copy, it’s different. It has a mysterious feeling to it.”
Her words stayed with me. I wish I knew who she was, so I could thank her for that moment of encouragement.
